Electronic tablets to speed voter check-in

Herald-Tribune

Seven polling locations in Vernon County will use electronic tablets to check voters in and verify addresses on election day -- the Vernon County Courthouse, First Baptist Church, YMCA, National Guard Armory, United Methodist Church, Vernon County fairgrounds home economics building, and Sheldon.

After verifying his or her address and signing the tablet, each voter will be issued a paper ballot just like they've used for years. The tablets will speed up procedures required in the clerk's office to finalize figures in an election.

Vernon County Clerk Tammi Beach told the Daily Mail in October that information about who voted is gathered for verification purposes and used to balance the number of voters against the number of ballots issued and the number of ballots actually cast. The tablets will enable the clerk's office to update the database by simply downloading the information from the tablets, rather than having to manually input the information as they have in the past. Beach said that she'll have a paper backup system available that can be put to use if needed.

She also noted that Missouri law requires voters to show identification. The most common ID used is the driver's license and it seems to take the least amount of time when checking in voters. Voter registration cards, military identification, passports and identification issued by the State of Missouri also are acceptable forms of identification at the polls.

Voters are required to vote where they live, and Beach noted that voters may still record a change of address on election day, if needed, so long as they were registered to vote by Oct. 10.

The Missouri Secretary of State's Office announced that 72 percent of Missouri's registered voters are predicted to vote in the Nov. 6 election. This estimate is a compilation of local turnout predictions submitted to the secretary of state's office by the 116 local election authorities around the state.

"During my time in office, we've worked diligently with local election officials to ensure Missourians can have confidence in an election system that is fair, accurate and secure," said Secretary of State Robin Carnahan. "I encourage all eligible Missourians to take the time to vote on Nov. 6 and make their voices heard."

If the 72 percent prediction is attained, more than 3 million of Missouri's 4,190,936 registered voters will cast ballots in the election. In the 2008 general election, actual voter turnout in Missouri was just above 69 percent.